


She Can't Win

by forcryingoutbat



Category: Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical - Steinman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 03:00:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21313069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forcryingoutbat/pseuds/forcryingoutbat
Summary: Tink's thoughts and actions between Not Allowed To Love and Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through.





	She Can't Win

It wasn’t fair. It was always supposed to be him and Strat. Maybe it wasn’t exactly how he’d hoped it would be with Strat right now, but he always knew it would be one day. One day Strat would see him as an equal. He even said it himself, they were soulmates, and not even Raven could change that.

  
Raven. The name felt toxic upon his tongue. He didn’t know if she was here to cause trouble, to break them up, to break right into the foundations of the deep end and tear it apart from within. He didn’t know if she was just an innocent young girl with no idea the sort of chaos she was going to leave behind her. The Lost had been at war with Falco for years now, but they had been gaining ground. Maybe not much, but these past few months had been the first for years without any casualties, and he didn’t want that to end.

  
Strat tended to be impulsive with a short memory. He floated through life, and anything that was more than an adventure or two ago slowing floated away as well. Strat didn’t remember the Lost that had fallen along the way as anything more than fleeting glimpses. But he remembered, because someone had to. He remembered seeing flashes through the crowd as someone slowly vanished into the lines of Militia, never to be seen again. He remembered standing there frozen, unable to help, as Strat held someone in his arms as their eyes slowly closed for the last time.

  
He remembered desperately trying to stop the bleeding as he looked at the broken body trapped beneath a mess of a bike, as he screamed for help. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts. It wasn’t the same, he told himself. Strat survived. She didn’t win, and she can’t win. He needed to get Raven away from Strat, even just for a little while. Strat might be mad at him for a little while, but they’d all be safer. Give it an adventure or two and he’ll forget all about Raven and forget about being angry. He just needed a plan.

  
The answer came to him almost immediately. He hated it, but nothing else would work. If he goes to Falco, either Raven is working with her father, and he’ll be able to prove that to Strat, or Falco will take her home, away from the Lost. Away from Strat.

  
\- - - - - - - - - - - -

He lingered outside of Falco towers, waiting for Falco to come out. Now he was here, he wasn’t quite so sure about his choice. He knew it made sense, it was the only way to keep Strat safe, after all, but he couldn’t help but think about the last time he’d been her in the square, only a few days previous. Standing shoulder to shoulder with his friends, trying to protect their home from an evil dictator. And now here he was again, but this time, he was bringing that evil straight to their own doorstep.  
But he made a deal. He wasn’t going to go back on his word. Falco would keep his side of the deal and them alone. He had to. They shook on it.

  
\- - - - - - - - - - -  
They’d looked at him with horror, when he came through with Falco. He hated that, but he understood it, and he could handle that. He knew they’d understand, given a little more time. But now they looked at him with pity, and he hated that so much more. How dare they look at him as though he was a child, too young to know any better? He knew he was taking a risk, but it worked, and he’d be fine, he had to believe that.

  
It was always a little cold, down in the deep end. At least, that’s what people said. He’d never been able to feel the cold much before, a benefit of having mutated DNA, perhaps, but now he couldn’t help much shiver. The chilly wind felt harsher than it ever had before. He felt a damp patch on his stomach, slowly growing and spreading down his sides. He didn’t look down at it, there must be leak from the ceiling above. It was the only part of his body that felt warm anymore.

  
The world felt like it was moving around him, he thought he was going to fall, but Strat caught him way before he reached the floor. Like he always did. He could see everyone’s faces looking down at him, and it was then he knew. He’d seen those faces before, though it had been a few months now. He’d done this, all of this, so he’d never have to see them again. At least, he supposed, this would be the last time he’d have to see the looks of grief on the faces of his friends.

  
He didn’t want to die. It hurt a lot less than he imagined though. Certainly, a lot less than watching it happen. If he had to die, he was glad it was here. In his home, among his friends, and in Strat’s arms. Right where he should be. His eyes felt heavy, and he couldn’t keep himself up any longer. He wondered how long it would take this time for Strat to forget again.


End file.
